Adam Sorensen Jeffry Mitchell
|
SCOTT
FOLDESI
James Harris Gallery is pleased to present our second solo exhibition of paintings by Scott Foldesi. Working from photographs culled from various media sources or shot by the artist himself, the artist’s paints landscapes and interiors that are eerily familiar. Converting an otherwise ordinary locale into a dramatic symbol of the American vernacular landscape, Foldesi paints strip malls, parking lot, big box retailers, and motels often bereft of human activity. His subject matter that is normally full of life is now deserted monuments. Foreshortened compositions, reduced forms and vibrant colors imbue the paintings with a sense of irony. Foldesi’s practice involves distilling mundane or everyday spaces down to its essential details that we take for granted. In a work titled Motel Pool, the compressed space of the foreground is made active by the rippling water of an empty pool. A lovingly painted decorative cinder block wall separates the warm water of the pool from a gas station and fast food joint next door. Foldesi often leaves portions of the canvas unpainted as compositional devices to heighten apathy yet add beauty through the void. By flattening the pictorial stage, Foldesi’s painting brings to fore the impersonal nature of a society on the move. These paintings are not social commentary; they poignantly convey the beauty found in the everyday places we often overlook. As our digitized and networked world amplifies less human connectivity, Scott Foldesi’s paintings make us stop and reflect on the transitory nature of our environment finding hope in less is more. Scott Foldesi received his M.F.A. in painting and drawing from the University of Oregon. Living and working in Seattle, Foldesi's work has appeared locally at Seattle University's Hedreen Gallery, the Center on Contemporary Art, and is also included in the Microsoft collection. Foldesi was awarded a 2008 Artist Trust Fellowship.
|
